This invention relates generally to computer-generated displays and more particularly to computer generation and display of a table of data incorporating one or more color patterns.
Data may be displayed within a table having one or more rows and one or more columns. For example, data for a number of items may be displayed as a table having a number of rows that each correspond to a particular item and a number of columns that each correspond to a particular attribute for the items. Where a column intersects a row, which intersection may be referred to as a cell, there may be one or more attribute values for the corresponding item. When viewing a displayed table of data, a user may scan one or more rows, columns, or both to locate a particular cell within the table and ascertain the attribute values within that cell. Similarly, a user may scan a row to ascertain the item corresponding to a particular cell. A user may also scan a column to ascertain the attribute corresponding to a particular cell. Scanning a row may involve visually tracing all or a portion of the row from left to right (or right to left), and scanning a column may involve visually tracing all or a portion of the column from top to bottom (or bottom to top). Where the displayed table has a relatively large number of rows, columns, or both, it may be difficult for the user to scan such rows or columns, which may make it difficult for the user to effectively use the displayed table. For example, it may be difficult for a user to visually trace a relatively long row across the table without confusing the row with one or more adjacent rows. Similarly, it may be difficult for a user to visually trace a relatively long column down (or up) the table without confusing the column with one or more adjacent columns.
According to the present invention, disadvantages and problems associated with previous techniques for displaying tabular data may be substantially reduced or eliminated.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for generating and displaying a table of data incorporating one or more color patterns includes accessing a plurality of data records. Each data record comprising one or more fields, and each field contains data. The method includes generating a table for the data. The table includes multiple rows each corresponding to a data record and multiple columns each corresponding to a field. The rows intersect the columns to define a cell at the intersection of each row and each column. Each cell contains data for the data record and field corresponding to the intersecting row and column, respectively. The method includes incorporating a first color pattern into the rows such that a color of each row substantially differs in hue from a color of its adjacent rows. The first color pattern incorporated into the rows provides visual connectivity among the cells within each row. The method includes incorporating a second color pattern into the columns such that a color of each column substantially differs from a color of its adjacent columns with respect to at least one of key value, saturation, and luminescence. The second color pattern incorporated into the columns provides visual connectivity among the cells within each column. The method includes providing the table for display to one or more users.
Particular embodiments of the present invention may provide one or more technical advantages. For example, particular embodiments may facilitate use of a displayed table of data by incorporating one or more color patterns into the rows of the table, which may provide greater visual connectivity among the cells within each row and, in turn, make it easier for a user to visually trace rows within the table. Particular embodiments may similarly facilitate use of a displayed table of data by incorporating one or more color patterns into the columns of the table, which may provide greater visual connectivity among the cells within each column and, in turn, make it easier for a user to visually trace columns within the table. Particular embodiments may facilitate use of a displayed table of data by incorporating one or more color patterns into the rows of the table and one or more color patterns into the columns of the table, which may provide greater visual connectivity among the cells within each row and the cells within each column and, in turn, make it easier for a user to visually trace rows and columns within the table, for example, to locate a particular cell at which a row and a column intersect. The advantages of the present invention may be particularly evident when the number of rows and/or columns within the table is relatively large, such as might be the case during the discovery phase of an electronic commerce scenario. One or more other technical advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the figures, descriptions, and claims included herein.